


Reflections of a Lady

by FallenFurther



Series: Episode related fics [14]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Home, Insecurity, Pre-Relationship, References to Thunderbirds, Reflection, Romantic Fluff, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25764499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther
Summary: Post Series 1 Episode 10: Tunnels of TimeLady Penelope is being flown home by Parker and takes the time to relay the events of the day, particularly the unexpected presence of Gordon Tracy.
Relationships: Penelope Creighton-Ward & Gordon Tracy
Series: Episode related fics [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612372
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Reflections of a Lady

She sat back as FAB 1 rose into the air and headed for home. It'd been quite the day and her mind couldn't help but drift over its events. Gordon's appearance had been a surprise. Parker had quite the nerve inviting one of the boys along without telling her, she would make him pay for that at a later date. Next time she took Sherbet for a walk in the rain she would instruct him to bathe the muddy dog. The smile crossed her lips at the way Parker would hold Bertie at arms length, keeping the mucky pup as far away from himself as possible. 

Not that Penelope minded the Tracy boys company, she just didn't like Parker thinking she needed them. She was perfectly capable of many tasks, and this meant to have been one of the least dangerous ones. Just a simple review and monitoring of an archaeological site. Nothing too strenuous. Not that it turned out that way. Her simple surveillance mission had turned into the most dangerous escape room challenge. She hated how she had ended up needing rescuing. She was part of International Rescue, she shouldn't need to be rescued. But then Gordon had been in the same situation, needing a rescue from his older brothers and it didn't bother him. Not that much ever seemed to bother the loudest of the Tracy boys.

Their moment on the solid gold statue came to mind, and Penelope sat back and let her eyes rest on the sky as the scene played in her mind. She'd been so close to Gordon. He'd taken her hand. Her heart had skipped a beat. They had been face to face and ever so close. He'd removed her hat and she was sure he was going to say it. Then Virgil arrived and the moment was over. She'd always know he'd had a crush on her, the signs were just too obvious, and she was trained in the art of information collection. An agent of International Rescue needed to know how to read people and Gordon Tracy wore his heart in his sleeve, most of the time. Penelope had seen the hidden nervous glances, noted his attempts to peacock in her presence. If that wasn't enough, Parker's attitude towards Gordon's advances was anything but subtle to Penelope. By now she knew both men extremely well. 

It was Gordon's final response that had set her on edge. The way he’d stammered, something she'd never heard the confident Olympian do, even in front of the largest crowd or the most important people. Yet what he stammered was just as surprising as the fact that he had. He'd thought they would never work. Penelope's hands twisted in her lap as she thought it over. Gordon wasn't her usual type and he certainly didn't fit the English Lady persona she played, but maybe that's why she'd never shot him down. She knew how he felt and she could easily nip it in the bud, but she never had. There was a charm to Gordon that intrigued Penelope. He made pleasant company. Considering the two-faced aristocrats she often had to socialise with, Gordon was a breath of fresh air. Sea air with a hint of the exotic in it. 

Penelope sighed. There were times when she felt like she lived in a different world to the Tracy brothers. Kayo understood. She lived in a different world even to Penelope, though their world's crossed at various points. But the Tracy's were heros. They saved the day, and while she helped them in that purpose, she went about it in a very different manner. She was an agent, with a cover story to keep people from guessing her real motive. Like the other secret International Rescue agents her cover was real. She was an English Lady with influence in various industries and endeavoured to use it for good. She believed she was one of the few that had such influence, with other agents being people who understood their area, location and community, and who would hear things through the grapevine and relay back if necessary. She had influence and status. Her mother and father had known Jefferson and Lucile Tracy on a personal level. 

Her father had been their friend. She had grown up knowing about the Tracy boys. Had met them when they were young, noisy and not interested in girls. They were almost family to her. She'd watched them all grow up as they had her. Gordon had watched her grow up. How much attention he'd paid, she didn't know, but it was still a factor. He knew her in a way her aristocrat friends couldn't. She'd let her hair down a few times around Gordon and his brothers, and she had always been rewarded by their response. Scott was great. Tall, handsome and a born leader. Virgil wasn't her type, and John, although her age and a great friend, was quiet and could never cope with her lifestyle. Gordon was almost the opposite. Loud, funny and had little care for how the media saw him. He still had that Tracy determination, the one that had made him stand out from his high achieving brothers and gotten him a gold medal at the Olympics. He was strong in his own way. It's one of the things that stood out to Penelope. Gordon entranced Penelope, taunting her, tempting her to dig deeper and find out more. She'd always held back. Stayed reserved. Like the Lady she was. But she was losing her resolve. The temptation was sometimes just too much. She tried to hide that she wanted to know more, to spend more time with Gordon Tracy. There were times when her mind drifted to him, but she'd learnt. Penelope Creighton-Ward had learnt control and self-restraint. She knew what the world could say about the pairing. Could see possible headlines in the papers and the slander in social media. International Rescue needed her to portray the right image, the one the world wanted to see. It helped them. It helped to save lives. Yet part of her wanted more. Was she ready to give into it? Was she ready to give Gordon Tracy a chance?

The gentle bump of FAB 1 hitting the driveway brought Penelope out of her ponderings. Had she really spent the whole flight thinking about Gordon? Parker pulled up and opened her door, allowing her to step out. 

"Thank you, Parker."

She was welcomed back by Sherbet, who pawed at her legs. Picking him up she put the thoughts to the back of her mind, knowing full well she would be reviewing them as she got ready for bed that night. 

"Did you miss me?" She asked, giving her furry friend a good scratch. A small yap brought a smile to her face. Right now she had other things she needed to do, like write up her report for the World Heritage Society about the day's events and Professor Harold’s conduct. She had a duty to protect the world’s historical artefacts for future generations, and Lady Penelope took her duty seriously.


End file.
